Living in an area that has a cold winter, I am faced with dwindling opportunities for hiking and outdoor exercise.  In order to be able combat the cold and get out as much as possible, I recommend stocking up on a few items to hep you and your pup enjoy the outdoors even when the snows appear.  I began working on this last winter and plan to expand our resources for this year.

First and foremost, every dog living in a cold climate that wants to spend more than about 15 minutes outside, needs a good dog coat or two.  Brutus has a fleece coat and I plan to get him another warmer coat to aid in our winter hiking.  To find a good jacket that will have a good fit, make sure to find a company that requires you to take measurements.

Brutus has the climate changer fleece jacket from Ruffwear.  He is an odd shape, so his chest makes it so the length is a bit long, but otherwise it fits him great.  We used it when we went camping, so check out that post to see how it looks.

Another important item to try is dog boots.  It takes some time to get your dog used to boots, so don’t expect them to want to go out and hike the very first time.  I have boots from Ruffwear and they come in a number of types for various seasons.  They also come in handy in hot weather as well as if you pup has any kind of sore on his feet.

For Brutus, I started our dog boot trials with those simple rubber pull on boots that look like balloons from Pawz.com.  They are not the best boots once your dog sweats and they are not good in cold weather, but they are a great starter boot for learning to walk with weird stuff on your feet without spending too much money to try something out. They are also great if your dog has an injury to a foot and needs to keep a foot dry when they go outside in the rain to pee.  They are a bit hard to learn to put on, but once you figure it out, they go on quick and easy.  Start with one foot and leave it on for about 5-10 minutes.  Try this a few times a day over a couple of days and then add in the second foot and repeat.  Within 2 weeks your pooch should be rocking around with all 4 boots.  If he is a stubborn soul, give it more time and make boot time fun.  Getting your pup boot friendly will come in handy, so be patient.  If that day never comes, you can still use them to protect an injury but haven’t invested too much money to only have them sit on a shelf. You will just need to be vigilant in checking your dogs feet and using other products for protecting the pads.

The bring us to products like Musher’s secret, that you rub on their feet for a protective barrier. This will help when you don’t want to but boots on or your dog simply won’t tolerate the boots and is good to use regularly to prevent cracking and keep the pads healthy.

In heavy snow, a flashing light on the collar or flashing collar is helpful for those whose off leash their dogs.  I don’t recommend off leash hiking especially in winter, but that is a story for another day.

The most important thing to remember is to know your dog and his limits.  How cold can he tolerate? How far can he walk before he looks like he wants you to carry him? Can he walk in deep snow?

You faithful companion needs you to guide him and ensure his safety, so please hike wisely.

Brutus and I are gearing up for winter and we hope you are too.

Safe hikes to all. Til next time!

Brutus and L